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Office Of Readings | Eastertide Week 2, Sunday | Divine Mercy | A Reading From The Sermons Of Saint Augustine | A New Creation In Jesus Christ
‘A new creation in Jesus Christ.’
A New Creation In Christ | Saint Augustine
In this Easter sermon, Saint Augustine speaks tenderly and passionately to the newly baptized, those who have recently passed through the saving waters of baptism at the Easter Vigil. His words are full of warmth, joy, and hope, as he invites these ‘little children in Christ’ to recognize the extraordinary gift they have received and to live according to the new life that has been planted within them.
At the heart of Augustine’s message is the idea of a new creation. Baptism is not merely the washing away of past sins; it is a real participation in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The old life, dominated by sin and mortality, has been buried, and a new life, shining with the light of Christ, has begun. Augustine describes the baptized as the ‘holy seed’, the ‘flower of our ministry’, and ‘the proof of Mother Church’s fruitfulness’. These images speak of vitality, growth, and promise. The Church, through the power of the Holy Spirit, gives birth to new sons and daughters who are called to live no longer according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
He urges the neophytes to ‘put on the Lord Jesus Christ’, to be clothed in Christ as in a new garment. This beautiful metaphor captures the intimacy of the union between Christ and the Christian. To be baptized is to be enveloped by Christ’s life, to have one’s identity reshaped by his presence. Augustine stresses that in Christ, all the divisions that once separated humanity—Jew and Greek, slave and free, male and female—are overcome. Baptism ushers in a new unity, a communion that reflects the unity of the Body of Christ itself.
Augustine reminds his listeners that the power of baptism is not confined to the moment it is received. It initiates a journey that leads ultimately to the resurrection of the dead. The baptized are still pilgrims, still living by faith and not yet by sight. They walk the road of life directed toward their heavenly homeland, with Jesus himself as their Way. Baptism has given them a new beginning, but the fullness of what they have received will only be revealed at the end of time when Christ appears in glory.
A striking and important theme in this sermon is Augustine’s meditation on the eighth day, the day of new creation. In the Old Covenant, circumcision—the sign of belonging to God—was performed on the eighth day after birth. Now, in the New Covenant, baptism has become the true circumcision, the mark of belonging to Christ. Augustine points out that the day of Christ’s Resurrection, Easter Sunday, is both the first day of the new week and the eighth day beyond the Sabbath. It signals not only the beginning of a new week but the dawn of a new creation. By linking baptism to the eighth day, Augustine shows that those who are baptized share already in the Resurrection life of Christ, even though they await its full manifestation.
Thus, the newly baptized, though still living in mortal bodies, have been given the pledge of the Spirit, the guarantee of their future glory. Their lives are now ‘hidden with Christ in God’, as Augustine beautifully puts it. Though they continue to face the struggles and sufferings of earthly life, their true identity is anchored beyond the visible world, held safely in the life of the risen Christ.
This hidden life is a call to hope and transformation. The baptized must now seek ‘the things that are above’, setting their hearts not on earthly ambitions but on heavenly realities. Augustine’s exhortation is filled with urgency and love: the Christian life is a serious calling, but it is also a life of profound joy, because it is already rooted in the life of God himself.
In his usual style, Augustine moves effortlessly from doctrinal teaching to heartfelt encouragement. He wants his listeners to grasp both the immense dignity they have received in Christ and the serious responsibility it entails. Baptism is not the end but the beginning—a call to live according to the Spirit, a call to holiness, a call to journey forward with eyes fixed on the promise of eternal life.
In the end, Augustine’s sermon is a song of praise to the mercy and greatness of God. Through baptism, the small and fragile lives of men and women have been drawn into the eternal life of the Trinity. They have become, even now, participants in the Resurrection, citizens of a new creation, heirs of a glory that will never fade.
Thus, he leaves the neophytes—and us—with a lasting invitation: to live what we have become. To walk by faith, strengthened by hope, and burning with the love that has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit.
A Reading From The Sermons Of Saint Augustine | A New Creation In Jesus Christ
I speak to you who have just been reborn in baptism, my little children in Christ, you who are the new offspring of the Church, gift of the Father, proof of Mother Church’s fruitfulness. All of you who stand fast in the Lord are a holy seed, a new colony of bees, the very flower of our ministry and fruit of our toil, my joy and my crown. It is the words of the Apostle that I address to you: Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh and its desires, so that you may be clothed with the life of him whom you have put on in this sacrament. You have all been clothed with Christ by your baptism in him. There is neither Jew nor Greek; there is neither slave nor freeman; there is neither male nor female; you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Such is the power of this sacrament: it is a sacrament of new life which begins here and now with the forgiveness of all past sins, and will be brought to completion in the resurrection of the dead. You have been buried with Christ by baptism into death in order that, as Christ has risen from the dead, you also may walk in newness of life.
You are walking now by faith, still on pilgrimage in a mortal body away from the Lord; but he to whom your steps are directed is himself the sure and certain way for you: Jesus Christ, who for our sake became man. For all who fear him he has stored up abundant happiness, which he will reveal to those who hope in him, bringing it to completion when we have attained the reality which even now we possess in hope.
This is the octave day of your new birth. Today is fulfilled in you the sign of faith that was prefigured in the Old Testament by the circumcision of the flesh on the eighth day after birth. When the Lord rose from the dead, he put off the mortality of the flesh; his risen body was still the same body, but it was no longer subject to death. By his resurrection he consecrated Sunday, or the Lord’s day. Though the third after his passion, this day is the eighth after the Sabbath, and thus also the first day of the week.
And so your own hope of resurrection, though not yet realised, is sure and certain, because you have received the sacrament or sign of this reality, and have been given the pledge of the Spirit. If, then, you have risen with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your hearts on heavenly things, not the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, your life, appears, then you too will appear with him in glory.
King James Audio Bible | KJV | King James Version King Herod There were several individuals named Herod who played significant roles in ancient history, particularly in the history of the Roman Empire and the region of Palestine. Here is a brief overview of the most notable Herods: Herod the Great: Also known as Herod I, he was a Roman client king of Judea, ruling from 37 BC to 4 BC. He is perhaps most famous for his role in the biblical story of the birth of Jesus, in which it is said that he ordered the slaughter of all male children in Bethlehem under the age of two in an attempt to kill the newborn Jesus. Herod Antipas: Also known as Herod II, he was the son of Herod the Great and ruled over Galilee and Perea, two regions in Palestine, from 4 BC to 39 AD. He is mentioned in the New Testament as the ruler who imprisoned John the Baptist and later had him beheaded. Herod Agrippa I: Also known as Herod III, he was the grandson of Herod the Great and ruled over Judea from 41 to 44 AD. He is mentioned in the New Testament as the ruler who imprisoned the apostle Paul. Herod Agrippa II: Also known as Herod IV, he was the great-grandson of Herod the Great and ruled over parts of Palestine and Syria from 50 to 100 AD. He is mentioned in the New Testament as the ruler who heard Paul’s defence before the Roman governor Festus. These rulers, who were known as the Herodian dynasty, were not Jewish but rather descended from a Greek family that had converted to Judaism. Despite this, they were appointed as rulers by the Roman Empire and were generally unpopular among the Jewish population due to their collaboration with the Roman occupation and their often brutal methods of rule. Herod The Great Herod the Great, also known as Herod I, was a Roman client king of Judea who ruled from 37 BC to 4 BC. He was born in 73 BC in Idumea, a region in southern Palestine, and was the son of Antipater the Idumean, an Edomite who had been appointed as a governor of Judea by the Roman general Pompey. Herod rose to power after the Roman general Julius Caesar appointed him as king of Judea in 40 BC. He consolidated his power over the next few years by defeating his rivals and establishing himself as the undisputed ruler of the region. As king, Herod embarked on a massive building program that included the expansion and renovation of the Temple in Jerusalem, the construction of the port city of Caesarea Maritima, and the fortification of several cities in Judea. He also commissioned the construction of a number of palaces and other buildings, including the famous Herodium, a palace-fortress located south of Jerusalem. Despite his many accomplishments, Herod was a controversial figure who was known for his harsh rule and his willingness to use violence to maintain his power. He was married several times and had a large number of children, several of whom he had executed when they posed a threat to his rule. One of the most famous stories associated with Herod is the biblical account of the birth of Jesus, in which it is said that he ordered the slaughter of all male children in Bethlehem under the age of two in an attempt to kill the newborn Jesus. According to the New Testament, Jesus was saved by his parents, who fled to Egypt, and later returned to Palestine after Herod’s death. Herod died in 4 BC at the age of 70, leaving a legacy as one of the most significant rulers in the history of ancient Palestine. Herod Antipas Herod Antipas, also known as Herod II, was the son of Herod the Great and ruled over Galilee and Perea, two regions in Palestine, from 4 BC to 39 AD. He was born in 20 BC and was named after his father’s patron, the Roman emperor Augustus. Like his father, Herod Antipas was known for his ambitious building projects, including the construction of the city of Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee and the expansion of the Temple in Jerusalem. He was also known for his political cunning and his ability to navigate the complex political landscape of the Roman Empire. Herod Antipas is mentioned in the New Testament as the ruler who imprisoned John the Baptist, a prominent religious figure who criticized Herod’s marriage to his sister-in-law, Herodias. According to the New Testament, John was eventually beheaded at the request of Herodias’ daughter, Salome, who danced for Herod and his guests at a banquet. Herod Antipas is also mentioned in the New Testament as the ruler who oversaw the trial and execution of Jesus. Although he initially wanted to release Jesus, he ultimately handed him over to the Roman authorities at the urging of the Jewish religious leaders. Herod Antipas’ rule came to an end in 39 AD when the Roman emperor Caligula exiled him to Gaul, modern-day France. He died in exile a few years later. Herod Agrippa I Herod Agrippa I, also known as Herod III, was the grandson of Herod the Great and ruled over Judea from 41 to 44 AD. He was born in 10 BC and was the son of Aristobulus and Bernice, two of Herod the Great’s children. Herod Agrippa I was well-educated and fluent in both Greek and Hebrew, and he was highly regarded by the Roman authorities for his loyalty and his ability to maintain order in Judea. He was appointed as king of Judea in 41 AD by the Roman emperor Claudius, who was impressed by his abilities and saw him as a reliable ally in the region. As king, Herod Agrippa I continued the building projects of his grandfather and expanded the Temple in Jerusalem. He also implemented a number of reforms aimed at improving the lives of the […]
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